amy foster-第2章

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passes　away　with　the　first　word。　　When　sharply



spoken　to；　she　was　apt　to　lose　her　head　at　once；　but



her　heart　was　of　the　kindest。　　She　had　never　been



heard　to　express　a　dislike　for　a　single　human　being；



and　she　was　tender　to　every　living　creature。　　She



was　devoted　to　Mrs。　Smith；　to　Mr。　Smith；　to　their



dogs；　cats；　canaries；　and　as　to　Mrs。　Smith's　grey



parrot；　its　peculiarities　exercised　upon　her　a　posi…



tive　fascination。　　Nevertheless；　when　that　outland…



ish　bird；　attacked　by　the　cat；　shrieked　for　help　in



human　accents；　she　ran　out　into　the　yard　stopping



her　ears；　and　did　not　prevent　the　crime。　　For　Mrs。



Smith　this　was　another　evidence　of　her　stupidity；



on　the　other　hand；　her　want　of　charm；　in　view　of



Smith's　well…known　frivolousness；　was　a　great　rec…



commendation。　　Her　short…sighted　eyes　would　swim



with　pity　for　a　poor　mouse　in　a　trap；　and　she　had



been　seen　once　by　some　boys　on　her　knees　in　the　wet



grass　helping　a　toad　in　difficulties。　　If　it's　true；　as



some　German　fellow　has　said；　that　without　phos…



phorus　there　is　no　thought；　it　is　still　more　true　that



there　is　no　kindness　of　heart　without　a　certain



amount　of　imagination。　　She　had　some。　　She　had



even　more　than　is　necessary　to　understand　suffer…



ing　and　to　be　moved　by　pity。　　She　fell　in　love　un…



der　circumstances　that　leave　no　room　for　doubt　in



the　matter；　for　you　need　imagination　to　form　a



notion　of　beauty　at　all；　and　still　more　to　discover



your　ideal　in　an　unfamiliar　shape。







〃How　this　aptitude　came　to　her；　what　it　did



feed　upon；　is　an　inscrutable　mystery。　　She　was



born　in　the　village；　and　had　never　been　further



away　from　it　than　Colebrook　or　perhaps　Darnford。



She　lived　for　four　years　with　the　Smiths。　　New



Barns　is　an　isolated　farmhouse　a　mile　away　from



the　road；　and　she　was　content　to　look　day　after



day　at　the　same　fields；　hollows；　rises；　at　the　trees



and　the　hedgerows；　at　the　faces　of　the　four　men



about　the　farm；　always　the　sameday　after　day；



month　after　month；　year　after　year。　　She　never



showed　a　desire　for　conversation；　and；　as　it　seemed



to　me；　she　did　not　know　how　to　smile。　　Sometimes



of　a　fine　Sunday　afternoon　she　would　put　on　her



best　dress；　a　pair　of　stout　boots；　a　large　grey　hat



trimmed　with　a　black　feather　（I've　seen　her　in　that



finery）；　seize　an　absurdly　slender　parasol；　climb



over　two　stiles；　tramp　over　three　fields　and　along



two　hundred　yards　of　roadnever　further。　　There



stood　Foster's　cottage。　　She　would　help　her　mother



to　give　their　tea　to　the　younger　children；　wash　up



the　crockery；　kiss　the　little　ones；　and　go　back　to



the　farm。　　That　was　all。　　All　the　rest；　all　the



change；　all　the　relaxation。　　She　never　seemed　to



wish　for　anything　more。　　And　then　she　fell　in　love。



She　fell　in　love　silently；　obstinatelyperhaps　help…



lessly。　　It　came　slowly；　but　when　it　came　it　worked



like　a　powerful　spell；　it　was　love　as　the　Ancients



understood　it：　an　irresistible　and　fateful　impulse



a　possession！　　Yes；　it　was　in　her　to　become　haunted



and　possessed　by　a　face；　by　a　presence；　fatally；　as



though　she　had　been　a　pagan　worshipper　of　form



under　a　joyous　skyand　to　be　awakened　at　last



from　that　mysterious　forgetfulness　of　self；　from



that　enchantment；　from　that　transport；　by　a



fear　resembling　the　unaccountable　terror　of　a



brute。　。　。　。〃







With　the　sun　hanging　low　on　its　western　limit；



the　expanse　of　the　grass…lands　framed　in　the　coun…



ter…scarps　of　the　rising　ground　took　on　a　gorgeous



and　sombre　aspect。　　A　sense　of　penetrating　sad…



ness；　like　that　inspired　by　a　grave　strain　of　music；



disengaged　itself　from　the　silence　of　the　fields。



The　men　we　met　walked　past　slow；　unsmiling；　with



downcast　eyes；　as　if　the　melancholy　of　an　over…bur…



dened　earth　had　weighted　their　feet；　bowed　their



shoulders；　borne　down　their　glances。







〃Yes；〃　said　the　doctor　to　my　remark；　〃one



would　think　the　earth　is　under　a　curse；　since　of　all



her　children　these　that　cling　to　her　the　closest　are



uncouth　in　body　and　as　leaden　of　gait　as　if　their



very　hearts　were　loaded　with　chains。　　But　here　on



this　same　road　you　might　have　seen　amongst　these



heavy　men　a　being　lithe；　supple；　and　long…limbed；



straight　like　a　pine　with　something　striving　up…



wards　in　his　appearance　as　though　the　heart　with…



in　him　had　been　buoyant。　　Perhaps　it　was　only　the



force　of　the　contrast；　but　when　he　was　passing　one



of　these　villagers　here；　the　soles　of　his　feet　did　not



seem　to　me　to　touch　the　dust　of　the　road。　　He



vaulted　over　the　stiles；　paced　these　slopes　with　a



long　elastic　stride　that　made　him　noticeable　at　a



great　distance；　and　had　lustrous　black　eyes。　　He



was　so　different　from　the　mankind　around　that；



with　his　freedom　of　movement；　his　softa　little



startled；　glance；　his　olive　complexion　and　graceful



bearing；　his　humanity　suggested　to　me　the　nature



of　a　woodland　creature。　　He　came　from　there。〃







The　doctor　pointed　with　his　whip；　and　from　the



summit　of　the　descent　seen　over　the　rolling　tops　of



the　trees　in　a　park　by　the　side　of　the　road；　appeared



the　level　sea　far　below　us；　like　the　floor　of　an　im…



mense　edifice　inlaid　with　bands　of　dark　ripple；　with



still　trails　of　glitter；　ending　in　a　belt　of　glassy



water　at　the　foot　of　the　sky。　　The　light　blur　of



smoke；　from　an　invisible　steamer；　faded　on　the



great　clearness　of　the　horizon　like　the　mist　of　a



breath　on　a　mirror；　and；　inshore；　the　white　sails　of



a　coaster；　with　the　appearance　of　disentangling



themselves　slowly　from　under　the　branches；　floated



clear　of　the　foliage　of　the　trees。







〃Shipwrecked　in　the　bay？〃　I　said。







〃Yes；　he　was　a　castaway。　　A　poor　emigrant



from　Central　Europe　bound　to　America　and　washed



ashore　here　in　a　storm。　　And　for　him；　who　knew



nothing　of　the　earth；　England　was　an　undiscovered



country。　　It　was　some　time　before　he　learned　its



name；　and　for　all　I　know　he　might　have　expected



to　find　wild　beasts　or　wild　men　here；　when；　crawling



in　the　dark　over　the　sea…wall；　he　rolled　down　the



other　side　into　a　dyke；　where　it　was　another　miracle



he　didn't　get　drowned。　　But　he　struggled　instinc…



tively　like　an　animal　under　a　net；　and　this　blind



struggle　threw　him　out　into　a　field。　　He　must　have



been；　indeed；　of　a　tougher　fibre　than　he　looked　to



withstand　without　expiring　such　buffetings；　the



violence　of　his　exertions；　and　so　much　fear。　　Later



on；　in　his　broken　English　that　resembled　curiously



the　speech　of　a　young　child；　he　told　me　himself　that



he　put　his　trust　in　God；　believing　he　was　no　longer



in　this　world。　　And　trulyhe　would　addhow　was



he　to　know？　　He　fought　his　way　against　the　rain



and　the　gale　on　all　fours；　and　crawled　at　last



among　some　sheep　huddled　close　under　the　lee　of　a



hedge。　　They　ran　off　in　all　directions；　bleating　in



the　darkness；　and　he　welcomed　the　first　familiar



sound　he　heard　on　these　shores。　　It　must　have　been



two　in　the　morning　then。　　And　this　is　all　we　know



of　the　manner　of　his　landing；　though　he　did　not



arrive　unattended　by　any　means。　　Only　his　grisly



company　did　not　begin　to　come　ashore　till　much



later　in　the　day。　。　。　。〃







The　doctor　gathered　the　reins；　clicked　his



tongue；　we　trotted　down　the　hill。　　Then　turning；



almost　directly；　a　sharp　corner　into　the　High



Street；　we　rattled　over　the　stones　and　were　home。







Late　in　the　evening　Kennedy；　breaking　a　spell



of　moodiness　that　had　come　over　him；　returned　to



the　story。　　S